Rise Of The Shields
by 4evTeamTwilight
Summary: *Set 15 years after Breaking Dawn* Two powerful vampires with shielding abilities enlist the aid of Bella - the last shield - to help defeat the Volturi, and take their place as rulers of the vampire world.
1. Chapter 1

Rise of the Shields…

 **Hello! This is my third fanfiction! I am SO excited to be sharing this. I started writing this story a little after I completed The Missing Shield (go check that out if you havent already!) so I've been hanging on to this for a while.**

 **The characters of this chapter are all from Stephenie Meyer's brain! I did a little research on them (I went to the Twilight saga wiki) to make this story possible and to ensure I had the right information. I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Reviews and feedback are welcomed!**

 **Enjoy! ;)**

*Set 7 years after Breaking Dawn* Two powerful vampires with shielding abilities enlist the aid of Bella – the last shield – to help defeat the Volturi, and take their place as rulers of the vampire world.

Chapter 1: Orchestrating Plans

*Afton's POV*

My charcoal cloak swayed around me softly as I walked silently down the hallway of the castle I knew to be home for the past few centuries. Though it was the castle I lived in, _Chelsea_ was truly my home. She was everything to me. It was because of her that I was still here, that Aro allowed me to be here. Chelsea would not have stayed if I weren't here. Because we have each other, this life we are living is bearable.

Bearable but not the life we would rather live.

We had no interest in spending the rest of our lives with the Volturi. We have grown tired of Aro's greed and lust for power. We have grown tired of being perceived as evil and unjust throughout the vampire world. We have grown tired of being members of the Volturi and everything it represents.

Chelsea and I just wanted, _needed_ some peace. We were ready, after many long centuries of servitude, to leave. But we both knew that that was easier said than done.

I sighed heavily as I opened the door that led to mine and Chelsea's suite.

"What's troubling you, my Afton?" Chelsea asked me as soon as I walked through the door, having heard my sharp outtake of breath. She placed the book she was reading on the desk before her and turned to face me, her blond bangs falling in her face, and covering her crimson eyes. I went to stand in front of her and placed my hands on her shoulders, kneading them.

"Nothing very important for you to fret over." I answered, lifting a hand to sweep Chelsea's hair out and away from her eyes to better see them. And it was true. She didn't need the added stress of something I could surely figure out on my own.

"Anything that concerns you involves me. Worries included." She argued, slapping my hand away.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her instead.

"I'm…regrouping." Chelsea answered honestly. "Not totally…replenished, but getting there."

That's how it usually was when Chelsea wasn't affected by Corin's power. Corin's ability to make others feel content in any situation has an everlasting effect. The drug-like side effect of Corin's gift often leaves Chelsea too discombobulated and hazy to do much after her daily tasks are complete.

Because of Chelsea being Corin's main object of focus, she is most often left feeling unwell. All of which was going according to plan for Aro. Chelsea was the highest ranking guard. It was Chelsea that kept the Volturi together – her ability to strengthen or weaken bonds was a treasured power to Aro. She made the guards not want to leave. Corin made Chelsea not want to leave. Because of Chelsea being content and happy, that makes the rest of us feel the same way. Chelsea was the glue that held all of us together.

"Ah, but you are very good at changing the subject, Afton." Chelsea interrupted my thoughts. "What. Is. Troubling. You?"

I breathed a deep sigh. "I was just thinking of…our current situation."

"Our current situation?" Chelsea repeated, confused.

I lowered my voice to a whisper, not wanting to chance anyone hearing. "When are we leaving here, Chelsea?"

"But Afton, you know such a thing is impossible for us now. It would never work, the timing is not right yet." She whispered back to me urgently.

"And when will the time be right, huh?" I asked belligerently. "Another decade? Another _century_? Chelsea, I refuse to stay in these castle walls any longer!"

"I know, I know." She sighed, closing her eyes. "But we can't yet. I want to leave as much as you do, trust me, but we can't be too hasty. You see what's happened to Marcus."

Master Marcus was in love once. His mate Didyme –who was also Aro's sister – was the center of his immortal life. Like us, Marcus and Didyme grew tired of the Volturi's lifestyle, and planned to leave together. Aro, having heard of their plans and wanting to keep Marcus with him, killed Didyme. He killed his own sister because he was still the same power-hungry, selfish person he is today. To this day, Marcus doesn't know the truth. To this day, Marcus is a lonely, depressed shell of the man he once was.

"Yes, I remember." I said, disgusted. I could never understand how Aro could do such a thing. What he did was truly low, even for him. How could he kill his sister in cold blood without so much as batting an eye? Appalling. "But I would never let that happen."

"Afton –"

"What we need is to orchestrate." I interrupted, calculating. "We need a solid, full-proof plan – one that has to work."

"Afton, I don't know how we could make this work." Chelsea sighed. "I want to, I just…I just don't want anything to happen to you. This could be very dangerous. This _is_ very dangerous."

"But I am ready to take this risk, Chelsea. For you - for _us-_ sothat we can finally live." I said, staring into her eyes.

Chelsea looked into my eyes for a long moment, deliberating. After a few moments of silence, Chelsea gave me a small smile, a gleam in her eye.

"I have an idea." She said, still smiling.

"Tell me." I said, open for anything.

"Well, I was just thinking of how life would be different without the Volturi. I know that we enforce the laws that are crucial for our own existence, but think of how it would be without the other intents."

"Go on." I said, confused and wanting to find out what she was getting at.

"What if there were other rulers of the vampire world? _We_ could be the rulers. We already know everything there is to know about executing the laws, and we wouldn't have any other malicious intents. It's a chance for us to be free, truly free. Even if we do manage to escape, we really wouldn't be living, Afton. We would always have to look behind our shoulders for Aro."

"That's….that is." I couldn't find the right word to describe how Chelsea's plan sounded. It was ludicrous! Impossible – how would such a plan ever work? I voiced my thoughts out loud.

"Of course we could never pull this off on our own." Chelsea said, rolling her eyes at me. "I was thinking that we could have some assistance."

"Assistance? Who do you have in mind?" I asked, curious about my mate's reasoning.

"The Cullens." Chelsea answered simply like it was the most logical thing in the world.

"The Cullens?" I repeated, incredulous. "Like they would ever help us after all the Volturi has done to them. What _we_ have done to them."

"I was actually thinking of one Cullen in particular. The shield – Bella's her name."

"Yes, I remember her - their latest addition."

"Think of what she can do alone, Afton." Chelsea whispered. "Bella can render all our powers useless. With her on our side, we can accomplish this."

I thought for a moment. Bella _was_ powerful. I remembered how she was able to stop us that time seven years ago. I could only think of what she could do now, now that she has had time to finally learn her ability. That fact was that Bella Cullen was our best hope.

"How do we know that the Cullens are still in Washington?"

Chelsea's eyes lit up, she knew that I was now considering her idea. "We don't." she said. "But you're a good enough tracker to find them."

"I wouldn't know where to start." I admitted.

But Chelsea had already thought all this through. "You would start in Washington, of course. Go on your next mission – which is in two weeks, right? - do _whatever_ you need to get rid of your partner. When neither of you come back, Aro would just think you both failed. I doubt he would care enough to set up a search. About time Aro realizes you two should be back, you will be half way to the Cullen's location."

I took all that in for a moment. Chelsea made it sound so easy. Her plan may just work.

I kissed her softly on the lips. "You, my dear, are astonishing."

*Rise of the Shields*

My next mission sent me to the streets of Detroit. A vampire was becoming careless in his killings, leaving the bodies in easily found places and increasing the murder cases in the city. Aro wanted the vampire to be dealt with quickly; he didn't have time to deal with this "imbecile" as he had called the vampire.

I walked silently behind Stefan – one of the lowest in ranks, telekinesis was his ability- over the piles of trash that littered the ground.

"Disgusting." Stefan huffed as he stepped over rotting food. "Couldn't this vampire pick a more sanitary place to hunt for food?"

I didn't respond. I was thinking of my real mission, and how I was supposed to play it out.

 _Do whatever you need to get rid of your partner_. Chelsea's words echoed in my head. Whatever it took to escape and find the Cullens. Whatever it took to finally get some peace from the Volturi.

I knew what I had to do.

I quickly surveyed the area – scanning the area with my eyes, ears, and sense of smell. There were no humans around. It was, after all, the dead of night. Humans were typically sleeping at this hour.

I acted quickly. Before Stefan had time to react, I pounced on him sending us both to the ground. It wasn't much of a fight; I was a more experienced fighter than Stefan. It took me no time at all to tear his head from his body and set his body ablaze. I didn't allow myself to feel guilty as I watched Stefan's body burn. It was all part of the plan, and I would do anything to ensure that Chelsea had the life she deserved.

Even if it meant I had to kill my comrades to do so. I would do anything for Chelsea.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, I left the scene without so much as a glance at the blazing fire. I had another, more important job to do. I _had_ to find the Cullens. I broke out into a run, pushing my legs to reach my top speed. My cloak flew out behind me as I ran into the night, the moon shining high in the sky.

I didn't stop running until I made it to the mouth of Michigan a while later. I felt the strange sensation that I was being followed. I turned around, scanning the area and finding nothing, I faced forward.

 _SNAP!_

I turned around again. Someone was _definitely_ following me. I didn't understand how I didn't realize this earlier; I was so focused on finding the Cullens…

I walked towards the spot where I heard the sound. As I got closer, I was suddenly hit with a feeling of nausea. A feeling of revulsion so strong it made me want to gag. I had to get away from this place. _Before_ I became the first vampire ever to vomit. Taking a deep breath, hoping to calm the nausea down with the crisp air, I turned around and fled. As I got farther away, the nausea dissipated - much to my relief.

 _What was that?_ I thought as I continued running. Suddenly, I was hit from behind and was sent flying through the air. I crashed into a tree, falling to the ground with it. Before I had time to react, my attacker was on top of me, pining my arms and legs down. I struggled to get free.

"Who are you?" my attacker demanded. His voice was smooth, deep, and clear, holding a hint of a threat if I didn't cooperate.

"I am Afton." I answered calmly. Antagonizing this vampire would not help.

"I saw the way you killed that other vampire back there, what are your plans?" the vampire asked, tightening his hold on my arms.

"I mean no harm towards you. I only killed the other vampire to get away from him. He _had_ to die." I answered, my voice still calm and collected.

"Why?"

"If you let me up, I will tell you everything you want to know." I bargained.

The vampire hesitated. After a few minutes of contemplating, he jumped up and away from me. I got quickly to my feet, facing the strange vampire.

He was tall, about a foot or so taller than I was. His hair was blond, curly, and framed his face. The vampire looked to be in his early twenties. He was muscular, but not too exceedingly buff. His eyes were a bright crimson.

"Hmm." I said softly. "How long were you following me?"

"Just right after I saw you kill that vampire." He said. "I just wanted to see if you were a threat to me."

"Was that you who made me feel…" I trailed off.

The vampire smiled. "Yes, that was me. I can make people feel – or at least make them think they do – repulsed by me. It comes in handy, I can tell you."

"A shield." I whispered to myself. Shields were very rare, Aro must not know about this vampire. If he did, he would have done everything he could to make him part of the guard.

"Excuse me?" the smile slipped off his face.

"You have a defensive talent. It's meant to keep others away from you – powers like that are called shields. I'm one myself."

"Wow. I've never thought of that. I've never _heard_ of such a thing as a vampire shield…interesting." The vampire whispered, amazed. "What can you do?"

"I can make myself invisible." I smiled. "Want to see?"

"Sure."

I closed my eyes in concentration. I felt the familiar tingling sensation over my body as I made myself disappear. The vampire's awed gasp made me smile. I reappeared.

"Wow." The vampire said again. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Fred."

"Fred." I said, nodding.

"So." Fred hesitated. "Why _did_ you kill that other vampire? Why did you need to get away from him?

"That's a long story." I murmured.

"I have no place else to be." Fred encouraged.

"Certainly you've heard of the Volturi?" I asked. He must have, every vampire knew of the Volturi. They had to.

Fred's eyes narrowed slightly. "I have."

"Well, I work for them –"

Fred's growl interrupted me. He took on a defensive stance, waiting to attack.

"Let me finish!" I demanded. "I told you I mean you no harm and I don't"

After a moment of hesitation, Fred straightened from his crouch. "Go on." He said.

"I guess you could say that I _worked_ for the Volturi since I never plan to go back there to stay. I plan to return to my mate, Chelsea, who is also a part of the guard. But first, I am in search of someone."

Fred was interested now. "In search of who? Why?"

"Chelsea and I have grown tired of being a part of the Volturi. We plan to overthrow them so we can live in peace, as well as rule the vampire world. We wish to keep peace, and only that, not at all like the rulers now. To do that, we need the help of the Cullen clan."

"Why do you need their help – I mean, what can they do?" Fred asked.

"Not really the Cullen clan as a whole." I corrected. "Only one member in particular – Bella is who we want – she is also a shield.

"Another shield?" Fred asked his eyebrows rose. "What does this Bella do that's so important?"

"She has the ability to shield all mental abilities she encounters. I've only met her once, but she was able to render all of our abilities – the Volturi's that is – useless. Bella truly is powerful – so powerful that Aro is afraid of her."

Fred was stunned into silence, shocked. "She's _that_ powerful?" He asked after he got over his shock.

I nodded. "She is, and she was only a newborn then. I expect she can do much more with her shield now. She can even keep _you_ out, if she wished."

"She sounds like quite a woman." Fred said, his tone wistful. "I would like to meet her."

"Bella has a mate." I warned him. "Any plans you have won't work for two reasons; Bella wouldn't look twice at you, and her husband's a mind reader."

Fred's eyes widened for a moment. "Well, I still want to meet her – mated or not. And I think…maybe… I could help you."

"Really?" I asked shocked by his offer.

"Yes, the three of us – you, Bella, and I – could use our shielding powers against the Volturi. From what you said Bella could do, I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult. And I've heard secondhand on what the Volturi can do, a world without them would be for the better."

I pondered this for a moment. _Three_ shields against the Volturi. I liked the odds. Fred's ability could work in our favor, too. Hmm…anything for Chelsea.

"Alright." I said. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"We're headed towards Washington – where the Cullens last lived – from there we can track them to their current location." I explained.

"I'm pretty good at tracking." Fred told me.

"Good." We broke out into a run, leaving Michigan behind.

"So." Fred said as we ran. "Tell me more about Bella and the Cullens."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: This Extraordinary Life

 **2 chapters in one day!Hooray! Like I said, I had this story for a while, so I have the first 3 chapters completed.**

 **From this point forward, this story will all be told from Bella's perspective. Unless I say otherwise...:)**

 **Reviews and feedback are always welcome!**

 **Enjoy!**

*Bella's POV*

 _Six Months Later…_

My life was absolutely perfect. I have never known a greater happiness than I do now in my immortal life. My family and I were now currently living in western Oregon – thanks to it being closer the Pacific Ocean, its strong winds influence the region to have a mild climate. It being a rainier region the most, especially near the Coast Ranges. We have adapted perfectly to our new home. Carlisle was working part times in the local hospital. The doctors knew he was an asset to the society and didn't hesitate to call for his assistance. Esme was currently renovating the new Cullen home. She originally found the home a while away from the town- its intricate interior designs and age instantly caught Esme's eye and brought out her artsy side. With Emmett and Alice's help, Esme was adding rooms and floors to the house – Emmett was only too happy to help bust down a few walls.

Renesmee had reached her full maturity. She now looked to be seventeen years old, with a mindset that was highly advanced. Her and Jacob were away on their honeymoon. After years of them being the best of friends, and then progressing into something more, Jacob finally asked for Renesmee's hand. I was ecstatic, of course, but Edward grumbled and pouted a little. I knew it was just because of having to give Renesmee away, for he knew as well as I did that Jacob was the best thing for Renesmee. Jacob and Renesmee were married in a breathtaking ceremony – put together by none other than Alice - on the thirteenth of May; one week before we left Forks. They decided to travel for their honeymoon, for they couldn't decide on any one place to spend it. The happy couple were now currently in Hawaii. This was said to be their last stop before they joined us back in Oregon.

Edward asked me to accompany him to his hometown of Chicago to collect the Masen family's fortune – just as he does so every generation. I talked Edward into taking the opportunity to visit his parents' grave. We spent an hour in front of Edward Senior and Elizabeth Masen's grave. Edward clung to me, his head nestled in the crook of my neck and his arms wrapped tightly around me, as he was hit with the emotions he thought he buried years ago. When I asked if he wanted to be alone for a moment with his parents, he refused, needing me to be with him. After the visit with his parents, we went to see Edward's old home. It was in good shape, the family living there took good care of the house. We spent three days in Chicago before heading back home.

Edward and I enjoyed having a house of our own so much that we decided to live away from everyone else a while longer. We found a small, three bedroom house just a few miles away from the main house. Alice helped us pick a design for the house; a modern design, with lots of marble tiles and beiges and cream colorings. Almost everything was ready in our home. It was just a matter of putting everything in the right places.

"I think we should hang this over our bed." I said to Edward as I carried a large painting into our room. It was one of the many paintings we brought from our cottage. It was one of the older pieces from the Edwardian age.

Edward looked up from his stack of CDs he was ordering on the shelves in the corner of the room to the painting I was holding. "Yes, it would look lovely there."

I kicked off my shoes before climbing onto the bed, painting still in my hands. I had to stretch a little to get the painting to the perfect spot.

"Here, let me help you." Edward was suddenly behind me, his hands reaching out to place the painting to my desired spot. I took a step back to admire our work.

"Perfect." I said, smiling up at Edward.

Edward chuckled. "I couldn't have picked a better place myself." He then wrapped his arms around me and guided us to a sitting position on the bed. I curled up in his arms.

"I think I'm going to like it here." I sighed contentedly.

"I would wish for nothing more. All I want is for you to be happy." Edward murmured, placing a finger under my chin and lifting my head up to look in my eyes.

"I am happy, Edward." I said seriously, cupping his face in my hands. "I have never been happier."

Edward bent his head slowly, his eyes trained on my lips. I lifted my head up to meet him. As our lips touched, the familiar electricity flowed through me. My hands tangled in his hair.

The moment was ruined by the sound of my phone buzzing.

I groaned while Edward chuckled lightly. I planned to ignore my buzzing phone and go on kissing him, but Edward pulled away.

"Answer your phone, love. That could be your daughter calling." Edward chuckled, his golden eyes danced with amusement.

I continued to grumble as I answered the phone. "Hello?'

"Hey, kid!" Charlie's voice sounded from the other line. I rolled my eyes at Edward; so much for it being Renesmee.

"Hey Dad, what's up?" I asked.

"I just was calling to see how things were going up there." Charlie said. I could just picture him shrugging as he spoke the words. But I knew it was hard for him – me and Renesmee being away from him and all. If it was up to Charlie, we would never have left Forks. He knew enough to not question me when I abruptly told him we were leaving a little over five years ago. He was still on his strict "need to know" rule. But he had Sue now – they got married last year – so I knew he was being taken care of.

"Everything's just fine, Dad." I said quickly. I had to make myself focus, for Edward's lips were now following an invisible line across my throat. "We all love the new house, but we still have lots of unpacking to do so everything's not completely put together yet."

"I'm sorry." Charlie apologized. "Am I interrupting?"

Edward chuckled in my ear as he brushed my hair to the side to better reach my throat. His warm breathed caressed my cheek, his sweet scent filling my nose. Edward placed a kiss on my ear then brushed his nose down from the side of my face to my shoulder and back up again. I took a deep breath to steady myself.

"No, no Dad." I said and I was glad to find that my voice was strong. "We were just taking a break."

"Oh." He said. "Have you visited your new college yet? I know things must be pretty crazy switching schools so suddenly and starting so late because of Renesmee. I still don't know how you managed…need to know, I guess." Edward and I managed to spend the last four years at Dartmouth – once Renesmee was old enough – with changed names and new applications. We lived in the house Edward purchased during our first , Edward kept a firm hold on the house. Renesmee was homeschooled by day by both me and Edward. Jacob, of course, came with us – he even attended a few classes while Renesmee studied.

"No, not yet." I told him as Edward placed a kiss at the corner of my mouth. "We planned to go check it out next week."

"I'm sure it won't be so bad, Bells." Charlie hedged. "You're a smart girl."

"Thanks Dad."

"Well, Sue's finished with lunch. I better head down – I'll talk to you soon, kid." Charlie promised.

"Alright, Dad."

"And tell Edward I said hi."

"I will Dad, bye." I glared at Edward as I hung up. He smiled back at me, unashamed.

"That wasn't very nice." I told him, still glaring.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Bella." Edward said innocently.

I rolled my eyes but otherwise let it go. "Come on, we have some more unpacking to do." I got to my feet pulling Edward with me.

"Yes ma'am."

*Rise of the Shields*

"How about a quick hunt before we head back?" Edward asked me as we left our house. We had just finished putting the rest of our things in the appropriate places, and were on our way to the main house to see if Esme and Alice needed any assistance.

"Mmm." I contemplated the idea. It _had_ been a week since I last hunted. "Yeah, I guess I could go for a mountain lion or two."

Here in the Oregon woods, the mountain lion were plentiful all year- round – not at all like Forks, where we had to travel quite a ways to find at least one of the carnivorous big cats.

Edward smiled, he liked that I had taken a special liking to his favorite meal. "I'll make sure to leave you the biggest one we manage to find."

We broke out into a run, Edward keeping pace with me easily. Once my newborn strength had worn off, I found out at I was slower than Rosalie, yet faster than both Esme and Alice. That placed me at about sixth in rank when determining our running paces.

"You can run ahead if you want, Edward." I told him, my voice not giving away any of the exertion I was putting in to make myself a little faster, so as not to leave him discouraged with my slow – well, slow in vampire standards – pace. "You don't have to wait for me."

"Nonsense, I enjoy running with my wife." Edward's tone implied that he meant what he said.

It made me happy that he would rather force his self to slow down to stay with me than to indulge in the speed the way I knew he often did. Edward _loved_ speed. He loved the exhilarating feel accompanied with the run, he loved the way it allowed him to lose a sense of time, place, and even – when in need for extreme cases - thought. Edward was, in a way, addicted to speed - more so than any other member of our family.

We followed a trail into the woods. After a few minutes of searching, we found a small herd of mountain lion near a stream – there were five of them, three were gently lapping at the water, and the other two were searching for prey. Together, we silently slipped into our hunting crouches and scattered the herd. True to his word, Edward gave me the biggest lion – after hunting and killing it himself. I wasn't very thirsty, so I only fed on the one mountain lion. I sat on a fallen tree and watched Edward hunt.

I marveled at the beauty of Edward as he hunted, just as I had done the first day of my new life. It never ceased to amaze me how strong, sure, and perfect Edward was as he lurched for his kill. His muscles coiled and rippled before he sprang at the lion, wrestling it to the ground. His full lips parted over his glistening teeth as he lunged for the animal's throat. My husband was simply glorious.

I drew patterns in the dirt with my feet as I waited for Edward to finish. I was watching a beetle try to climb onto a stick when Edward appeared in front of me.

"Are you finished, love?" Edward asked me in his smooth, velvet voice.

I had to crane my head back to see his face. His eyes were soft butterscotch – compliments of the three mountain lions he just downed – and his cheeks were faintly flushed from the warm blood. His hair was even wilder because of his tangle with the mountain lions.

Glorious.

Exquisite.

And he was _mine_.

"Yes, I'm finished." I said, looking into his golden eyes, and becoming lost in their depth. Edward's lips stretched into that crooked smile that always came to be my undoing. After all this time, Edward still managed to dazzle me until I resembled nothing more than a puddle of goop. As I continued to stare at Edward, a wind blew and wafted Edward's scent around me - enveloping me, intoxicating me. I breathed in a deep breath.

"Bella." Edward whispered my name. He took a step closer to me, grabbing both my hands. Slowly, he pulled me up until I was standing at my full height. Edward trailed his hands up my arms, my shoulders, my neck all the way up until he was cupping my face. He leaned in to give me a soft peck on the lips which I deepened.

"We'd better get going if you still wanted to help Esme." Edward murmured after we broke apart, touching his forehead against mine.

I didn't move an inch for a few seconds longer, enjoying the moment. I placed my hands over Edward's, lowering them from my face and then keeping hold of one.

"Yeah, let's go."

We ran, hand in hand, to the Cullen's main house, laughing and joking as we went. When we got there Alice was on the porch steps waiting for us.

"It's about time you two got here." Alice said, jumping up to her feet. "I was beginning to worry you had lost your way."

Edward rolled his eyes at her. "Like you wouldn't have known."

"Where's Esme?" I piped up. "I wanted to see if she needed any help."

"She's upstairs busting down walls with Emmett."

I let myself into the house, Alice and Edward following behind me chatting amongst themselves. So far, Esme had done an amazing job with the downstairs. The furniture was all new, for Esme wanted it to compliment the house's coloring. The living room was cream colored with burgundy sofas, chairs, and loveseats. The flat screen was already hooked up with cable – most likely Emmett's doing. A long, mahogany table complete with eight matching chairs was centered in the dining room. Black carpeting was in each room. The house was simply marvelous. Esme was truly an artist. I had yet to see the rest of the house, but I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with the work.

True to Alice's telling, I found Esme and Emmett upstairs. Emmett was completely covered in plaster, but he still had a huge smile on his face as he slammed into the wall, leaving an Emmett-sized hole.

"Hey little sis!" Emmett boomed. "You and Edward finally managed to pull yourselves out of that house, huh? I'm sure you couldn't have spent _all_ that time working." He waggled his eyebrows. Once my newborn strength wore off, Emmett challenged me to a series of arm wrestling matches. Stupidly, and hoping for a miracle that I would somehow win, I complied. To no one's surprise, I lost all matches…hard. From then on, Emmett's teasing grew worse and more adamant.

I ignored him and turned to Esme. "Do you need help with anything?" I asked as Emmett howled with laughter.

"Thank you, Bella." Esme beamed at me. "Could you bring in some of the boxes from the garage, please? Rosalie and Jasper promised to, but they slipped away to the hardware store with Carlisle. "

"Well, I will do it for you Esme." I turned an about face and went on my way to the garage, Edward a few steps behind me. This garage was bigger than the one in Forks, but not by much. The shelves were already littered with Rosalie's tools. Boxes of all sizes were strewn all across the floor, and the smell of packing dust was heavy in the air.

Edward and I made quick work of the boxes – carrying up to four upstairs to lessen the amount of trips we had to take. It wasn't long before Esme had us unpack the boxes and put all the items in spaces that satisfied her vision. Antiques – some older than others by centuries – and homemade trinkets were placed around the finished rooms. Alice danced behind us, leaving flowers in her trail to better add color to the house. As we all worked together, the house came more and more alive. Rosalie, Jasper, and Carlisle returned from the store with paint, plaster, and wood frames. With the new materials, we started on the expansion of the rooms Emmett and Esme busted out. When we were all elbow deep in plaster hours later, Esme announced that we would continue the work the next day.

"We should be finished with everything in the next couple of days." Emmett said looking around at the half finished room.

"Good, I don't know how I'm going to get all this out of my hair." Rosalie said, running her hands through her blond locks and wrinkling her nose as the plaster stuck to her hands. "I'll have to wash it at least three times."

"Be sure to use conditioner and extra hot water, I see the plaster being dried in a little." Alice chirped.

Rosalie groaned as the rest of us tried to muffle our snickers.

"You should have put your hair up like Bella did." Edward told her, smirking as she threw him glare. "There's hardly any in hers." It was true; it was easier to keep the plaster from totally ruining my hair when it wasn't falling over my shoulders and into my face as I worked.

"Well, I'll try to remember that next time." Rosalie snapped at him. Though Rosalie loved attention, she didn't appreciate it when it was humor at her expense.

"I think we all need a shower." Esme piped up in her gentle voice, ending the teasing before Rosalie could get too riled up.

Rosalie was the first to leave, her chin lifted slightly as she headed for the showers – no doubt still riled from the light teasing – with Emmett hurrying after her. I noticed that Edward cringed slightly, so I figured that Emmett's thoughts weren't exactly proper at the moment.

"Did you want to stay here? Or would you rather return home?" Edward asked me, sweeping a strand of hair that escaped from my ponytail behind my ear.

"It may take awhile with everyone needing a shower." I mused. "I think we'd better head home."

After saying goodnight to our family, we were on our way back to our own house. We didn't run as we had before, we took our time, enjoying the fresh night air as our hands swung between us. Even with plaster in his hair, Edward managed to look like a god in the pale moonlight – his white skin seeming to shimmer in its illumination from the moon's gleam. He smiled down at me and twisted our fingers together when he noticed my staring, squeezing my fingers softly. We made it home not too much later – we truly didn't live that far from the rest of the family – and hurried inside. I took off my plaster–stained shoes and made Edward take his off too. He rolled his eyes as me, but I ignored him. _My_ house wasn't to be ruined. Especially not by plaster footprints.

I made my way to the bathroom with Edward following behind me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Visions

 **Chapter 3! This will be the last chapter for a couple of days. I'm currently working on chapter 4! Yay!**

 **Reviews and feedback are welcome!**

 **Enjoy!**

*Bella's POV*

I was sitting at the vanity in our bathroom in my pale blue robe, brushing my damp hair absentmindedly. The mirror was fogged up from the steam of the shower and I wiped at it with a towel. I stared at my reflection, most particularly, my eyes. My eyes had lightened up to the same golden color as Edward's and the rest of my family's exactly one year into my new life. My red eyes had frightened me from the very beginning, so I was especially relieved when the red finally turned to gold. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice Edward behind me until I saw his reflection in the mirror.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked me, staring into my eyes through the mirror. I felt a soft probing at my shield – I knew it so much better now – that was Edward, unconsciously, pushing to read my thoughts, for he knew it was impossible without my consent. I could feel his focus in my mind; my shield didn't move an inch under the pressure. I smiled slightly.

"I was just thinking about my eyes." I told him honestly.

"They are beautiful." Edward reassured me. "Just like the rest of you."

I turned around on the bench to face him. He was wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants. His chiseled chest, smooth like marble, was bare. His muscles flexed when he moved to stretch his arms out on either side of me, hands braced behind me on the vanity. I was forced to press my back against the countertop, intimidated by his proximity and his beauty. His breath fanned out across my face, intoxicating me with its sweetness. Edward bent his head to skim his nose from my ear to my jaw, and back up again.

"What about your eyes?"

"Just how glad I am that they're not red anymore. I was afraid I looked like a monster." I answered before fully thinking it through. Edward's ministrations were thoroughly distracting.

Edward stopped abruptly, standing up to his full height and turning away from me, his hands balled into fists. I stood up too, moving to stand in front of him. His eyes were closed tightly and he made no move to look at me when I approached.

"Edward?"

No answer.

I cupped his face with both my hands. He didn't lean into them like he usually did. "Edward, look at me."

Nothing.

" _Look at me!"_ I said more forcefully.

This time he complied. With a deep sigh, he opened his eyes and looked into mine. Edward's eyes were guarded, giving nothing away to what was going through his head. The gold was hard - not at all the liquid they were just a moment ago – and verging on to the point of being black. What on earth happened to put him in this mood?!

"Edward." I started again. "What is it? What's wrong?"

He spoke through gritted teeth. "You are _not_ a monster."

"What?"

Edward reached up and moved my hands away from his face. Then he spun on his heel and left the bathroom, leaving me standing alone and dumbfounded. After I composed myself, I followed after him. I found him in our bedroom, looking out the window. His back was towards me, and from where I stood in the doorway, I could tell his muscles were tense. He was completely still as stone.

I walked to him quietly; when I reached him I placed my hands on his back, his muscles rippled and relaxed under my touch slightly. Encouraged, I moved my hands slowly up to his shoulders, gently rubbing them when my hands were planted. Almost instantly, Edward's tense muscles relaxed fully and he breathed a deep sigh. I placed a soft kiss on the back of his neck.

"Edward, talk to me, _please_." I pleaded with him in a hushed whisper. I moved so I was standing next to him instead of behind him. I studied his profile. His jaw was hard and he stared straight ahead into the night. I couldn't read his expression.

" _Please_."

Edward bowed his eyes and closed his eyes, refusing to look at me. "I can't bear the thought of you having _any regrets about joining me in this life_."

"How could you even think that?" I asked him, shocked that that was what worried him.

"Easily, how could you ever forgive me for taking away your soul?" Edward said through gritted teeth, his tone harsh.

"Not this again!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air and glaring at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Edward." I said, taking his face in my hands and forcing him to look at me. "Listen to me, _I regret nothing_. How could I? I get to be with you forever. That's all I've ever wanted. I love you more than anything on this Earth combined, don't you understand that? Me changing was the only way for me to be with you. _I. Have. No. Regrets."_

"Bella –"

"And about this soul thing!" I ranted on, completely ignoring him. "How many times have we been over this? _There are no lost souls here._ If you truly took away my soul, how is it possible that I love you like this? How could I love at all without a soul?" I was almost yelling now, my voice growing louder as I became more and more upset.

"I'm sorry." Edward said, moving for the first time to touch the crease between my eyebrows. "I've upset you."

"Because you're upset. That's the only thing that upsets me."

"I'm sorry." Edward apologized again.

"Answer me this." I said to him, pulling his face down to my level. "Do you _truly_ believe that you've taken away my soul?"

Edward was silent for a moment, thinking through his answer completely. I watched as several emotions flickered across his face as he thought. "No." he finally said softly.

"How could someone like you be without a soul? You're so happy all the time, so full of life. You are _pure_ , and good, and loving, and so _beautiful_ and passionate. No, you _must_ have a soul. If no one else does, I know that _you_ most certainly have one."

With that, Edward pulled me into him, crushing my lips to his in a fierce kiss. My fingers tangled in his hair, responding to his touch.

We didn't talk about souls for the rest of the night.

* Rise of the Shields *

The next few days were much the same. From the first signs of daylight to the last light of twilight, we were all working on the renovations to our new home. Aside from adding rooms to the house, there wasn't much to do to the new Cullen home. As the main house grew to completion, mine and Edward's home followed suite. Edward and I spent most of our time between the Cullen's house and our own home. When we weren't off doing errands for Esme, we were adding the finishing touches to our house. Alice even found time to stop by and help decorate. If we were humans, it would've taken us months to complete the amount of work we finished in a matter of days. Our inhuman speed and strength were possibly our best tools. Time flew by quickly as we built our new home.

After a week of labor, both houses were finally complete.

We - apart from Esme and Carlisle who left for a hunting trip - were all gathered in the Cullen's living room. Emmett and Jasper were arguing over a game they were playing on Emmett's Xbox. Rosalie watched them, smiling slightly at her husband's competitiveness as she flipped through a magazine. I was seated on the couch, Edward's arm laying lightly on my shoulder as we watched Alice paint my toenails - after almost an hour of Alice begging, I finally gave in - a dark blue.

"Ta da!" Alice sang as she closed the nail polish, a satisfied smile on her lips as she admired my toes. "Another masterpiece."

"Jeez, Alice, they're just toes." I said rolling my eyes at her.

"Yes, but now they look fabulous!" Alice folded herself gracefully onto the couch next to me. "Don't you think so Edward?"

Edward, who had been playing with my hair, turned to look at his favorite sister. "Bella has always had beautiful feet." he paused for a moment, looking down at my polished nails. "But I am very partial to that shade of blue."

"Yes, yes Bella looks very lovely in blue." Alice said impatiently, waving her hand in dismissal. "You just won't admit that her feet look a whole world better this way."

"I won't admit it because I believe Bella's feet are perfect - painted or not." Edward stated simply.

"Ok, ok!" I interrupted before Alice could reply. "Enough about my feet." This conversation was getting weird.

"Just be sure to not put your socks back on for an hour. Your nails should be completely dry by then." Alice chirped as she started painting her own nails.

Suddenly, Alice's hands stopped moving and her eyes glazed over. I didn't think much of it at first - this behavior was usual for Alice, her visions coming on suddenly - but that was until Edward stiffened at my side and he turned his body fully towards Alice. Jasper, sensing Edward's emotions, turned towards Edward, and once he noticed Alice's dazed state, flashed quickly to her side.

"Edward." I said, wanting to know the cause behind his reaction and feeling a little nervous.

He didn't answer, his eyes were slightly unfocused as he concentrated on Alice's thoughts, watching the vision with her. We now had Emmett and Rosalie's full attention.

Edward was the first to snap out of the vision.

"What was that?" he asked Alice as she came back to the present.

"I..I'm not sure." Alice said hesitantly yet with a hint of annoyance. There was nothing Alice hated more than being in the dark.

"I didn't recognize the area in the second flash." Edward said, confusion lacing his tone.

Emmett's annoyance got the best of him. "Hello! The rest of us would like to be filled in."

Edward was the one who answered. "Alice had a fragmented vision. The first piece was of a man's face - a vampire's to be exact, his eyes were red - and he was in a room I didn't recognize, and he was talking to someone. Alice didn't see who. The second piece was of another man. Another vampire with red eyes."

The room was silent as the rest of us tried to make sense of Alice's vision. I was the first to speak.

"Are we in danger?" I asked Edward, not really wanting to know the answer. I wouldn't know what I would do if there was someone trying to steal my happiness.

"I don't _think_ so." Edward said, furrowing a perfect eyebrow. "I didn't recognize the man in the vision."

"Neither did I." Alice piped up.

"That doesn't mean that he can't be moving against us." Jasper said, shaking his head. "He could have some vendetta against us and we don't even know it."

"A vendetta against us?" Rosalie repeated, rolling her eyes at Jasper. "We're not exactly social enough to make enemies."

I could think of one enemy. "The Volturi." I whispered.

"Shh." Edward soothed me. "We would have known if it was the Volturi - Alice has a close eye on Aro. Besides, I don't think they are fully over what happened during our last confrontation."

Emmett's booming laugh echoed around the room. "I still can't believe Aro is scared of this little squirt!" he continued to chuckle as he sized me up, as always unaffected by the tense atmosphere.

"Well, I don't think there's anything to get so worked up over." Rosalie huffed, flipping her hair and checking her nails.

"Rosalie's right." Jasper spoke up, nestling Alice into his side. "Let's just wait to see if anything else comes up."

As the rest of my family went back to their own devices, I remained frozen. I felt uneasy. There was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't quite place. It reminded me of the time when we were up against the newborns. When we hadn't connected the dots and realized Victoria was behind the chaos in Seattle. I felt as if we were missing something important then too. Also like then, I felt as if we were missing the bigger picture...

But there wasn't much I could do about it now. Maybe if Alice gets another vision I can make sense of things. I buried the uneasy feeling and smiled up at Edward, fully intending to keep my thoughts to myself until I was certain I figured out the puzzle the rest of my family didn't know existed.

*Rise Of The Shields*

"We should arrive by noon tomorrow." Renesmee spoke quietly into the phone, conscious of Jacob and the rest of the passengers sleeping on the plane. She had called to give an update on her and Jacob's whereabouts, just like Edward had advised before they left for their trip.

"Oh?" I said, surprise lacing my tone as I brought the basket of freshly washed clothing to mine and Edward's room. "I would've suspected you to stay a few more days."

"We're excited to see the new place." Renesmee giggled.

"You won't be disappointed, we finished everything this morning." I replied, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I folded one of Edward's shirts.

"Really?" my daughter asked, incredulous. "That seems like a lot of work. Even for vampires." she whispered the word.

I laughed. "We managed, really it wasn't much at all. Your Uncle Emmett enjoyed busting down the walls."

"I can imagine that." Renesmee giggled again. We laughed together over Emmett's playful nature.

"Well." I said after our laughter died down. "You must be tired, I'll let you get some sleep."

"Ok, bye Mom. Love you."

"I love you, too. Bye." I tossed the phone onto the bed. I turned back to the laundry, folding clothes at a human pace. I fully intended to keep myself busy until Edward returned from the main house. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward were doing some last minute work around the house for Esme. It was nothing major, just getting rid of boxes and storing tools and paint.

As I folded the clothes, my mind drifted back to Alice's vision. In what way did it connect to us? Edward and Alice said they hadn't recognized the man in the vision, so why did Alice see him? Maybe Alice _did_ know him from somewhere, but forgot of him. But no, her perfect vampire memory would have recalled the meeting. No matter how brief. I huffed as I pulled a pair of Edward's pants out from the basket. I was becoming more and more agitated as I thought of the vision. Why couldn't I just figure it out already? The sooner the mystery of Alice's vision was solved, the better. At least, that was what I was telling myself.

A small pile of Edward's clothes in hand, I turned to place them into the drawer. However, I came face to face with Edward himself. I jumped back and gasped, the clothes falling from my hands in my surprise. I hadn't even heard him come in!

"Edward!" I gasped. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

The expression on my face must have been something because Edward pressed his lips together to stop from laughing, but a few chuckles escaped. "I'm sorry, love." he chuckled again before he could stop himself. "What were you in deep thought about that made you oblivious to my presence?"

"I was just...folding the clothes." I said pathetically, bending to retrieve the clothes I dropped.

Edward beat me to it. He placed his clothes on the bed and started to refold them. "And all your energy and attention was focused on the laundry?"

"Yes."

Edward stopped folding the clothes and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to his chest a grin of amusement on his face. "You never cease to amaze me, Bella." he chuckled again.

"Stop laughing at me!" I swatted at his chest and wiggled out of his arms, turning my back on him and resumed my task of folding the laundry. Edward crept up behind me silently, wrapping his arms around me from behind and nuzzling his face in my hair. I stubbornly ignored him, continuing to fold clothes.

"Forgive me?" Edward asked, but I could still hear the laughter in his voice.

"No."

Edward chuckled again.

"By the way." I said shortly. "Our daughter called. She says they'll be here by noon tomorrow."

"Wonderful!" I could hear the pure delight in Edward's voice. He missed Renesmee as much as I did. I knew he couldn't wait to have his girl home. We stood silently for a few minutes. I could practically see the waves of excitement rolling off Edward. I sighed. I couldn't be angry with him for long. Especially not when he's in such a good mood. I turned around in his arms.

"I can't wait until she gets here." I said, not being able to resist wrapping my arms around his neck. "I've missed Jake too."

"Yes, it has been rather quiet without his snoring." Edward joked.

I laughed and nestled my head into the crook of Edward's neck. I sighed wistfully, tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.


End file.
